57 thoughts on “C-19 Chat Post – November 9 2021”

  1. Thanks TK.

    Joshua, with regard to China, will their lockdown be for the entire winter? I imagine it will be very draconian, to say the least?

    Well, it’s their own fault as their government spread the coronavirus all over the world.

    Have lockdowns in general proven to actually work, or just delay the inevitable after the “all clear” signal?

    1. China’s case numbers are still very, very low (~100 a day, for the entire country!), and they’re testing quite a bit. But, because the country doesn’t want any cases at all it freaks out any time there is a case and it institutes a draconian testing protocol, and indeed in some instances a very strict lockdown. The latter has worked. But, it can only work well if it’s enforced and really keeps people home-bound. The Wuhan lockdown lasted 9 or 10 weeks, kept everyone at home except essential workers, and it did effectively eliminate the virus in that region. In fact, so much so that Wuhan opened up fully in April 2020 and hasn’t had a lockdown since, though there have been travel restrictions.

      China is a one-party dictatorship. So, it’s not a good comparator. A better one is New Zealand. Lockdowns there were not quite as strict, but still enforced. They certainly worked, but, as you point out, sometimes after the “all clear” signal occurred the virus would come back. This said, NZ has (had) very low case numbers (28 deaths for the whole pandemic), a now high vaccination rate, and really will have had the best record on Covid of any democracy, by a very wide margin.

      Japan’s `lockdowns’ may be an even better comparator, as the country rarely closed stores or restaurants. But it did institute universal a green pass system, mask-wearing, distancing, and strict crowd limits. Its record on Covid is exemplary. It’s had, I believe 13,000 deaths, but that’s nothing compared to so many other democracies. Now that the vaccination rate is significantly better than the U.S. it’s seeing light at the end of the tunnel.

      Still another country that is a good comparator: Canada. Much lower case and deaths rates than the U.S. (5 times less). It’s instituted periodic, enforceable lockdowns, and still has restrictions in place, though not lockdowns. The limits include the green pass system, mask mandates, distancing at stores and indoor spaces, and crowd limits.

      1. Thanks Joshua. I guess even a “brief” lockdown here in the U.S. would do little good in the long run, correct?

      2. Examples we could have followed. Chile also had strict lockdowns. Unless it had an increase in the past couple of days, it is doing well also. Then there is US.

    1. Interesting and thank you for sharing.

      I wonder if those who have already received one of the other vaccines could also receive this one?

    1. Aaron Rodgers is a tremendously gifted athlete. But, something went amiss during his childhood or upbringing. It’s sad, actually. He’s cut off from much of his family and has behaved in very odd, almost sociopathic ways, at different junctures throughout his life. So, this vaccine saga is just symptomatic for the kind of person that Rodgers has become. I feel sorry for him, because I believe he’s mentally ill and needs help.

  2. Philip, to your question on lockdowns, the term is interpreted differently by different people. I prefer use of the word mitigation measures, as it’s broader and isn’t so lockdown-focused. There are a variety of such measures. South Korea didn’t have true lockdowns at all (ever), but did institute (and still does) green pass systems, universal masking, distancing, and comprehensive contact tracing and isolation (for identified cases). We barely do any contact tracing in the U.S., and certainly not universal. https://twitter.com/deanjaybaker/status/1457591144469065733

    1. And, South Korea has done very well throughout the pandemic. Incredibly so. It’s very much a democracy. The only freedom people `gave up’ was allowing for green pass systems and contact tracing.

  3. Representative Gosar has taken stances on Covid-19 that are pathologically sick. He’s mocked those who died of the disease. He’s called for an end to all precautions on numerous occasions going back to March 2020 (even the mildest of precautions), and even an end to the emergency public health declaration, despite his own state officials in Arizona saying it’s desperately needed to continue to fund hospitals caring for Covid patients.

    And now Gosar has photoshopped an anime video to show him killing Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Somehow AOC scares the living daylights out of some middle-aged male GOPers. While I’m not a fan of her politically, she’s smart, politically savvy, and has an important role to play in Congress. Here she is about 9 years ago on the rooftops of a BU building. Great views of the city. Love or hate her, she’s a force to be reckoned with. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efpWexTCqLM

    Unlike Rodgers, Gosar is an individual I have no sympathy for whatsoever. He’s deranged and should be suspended from Congress. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/republicans-gosar-trump-ocasio-cortez/2021/11/08/ead37b36-40ca-11ec-9ea7-3eb2406a2e24_story.html?

    1. Thanks Joshua – I’ve always loved that video of AOC dancing. To me she represents the light and hope we need moving forward.

  4. Pool testing is supposed to be a mitigation factor in schools. DESE had said it would supply people to perform the tests. It never did. Sadly most schools simply do not have manpower

    1. Now, that makes perfect sense. My wife, Daughter and I have been SCREAMING this since the start of the school year.
      People either don’t want to listen, don’t care, or have given up!

      Sad state of affairs.

  5. Joshua, if I recall, the U.S. “official” lockdown last year started on March 17, 2020 but do you recall when was the official “end date”? Looking back, was our “lockdown” such as it was, a complete waste of time in the long run? Maybe our schools should have remained open as well last year?

    1. Not an utter waste of time. Our “slow the spread” `lockdown’ was never strict, but did involve school and public building closures, and many restrictions on crowd limits, stay-at-home `orders’ which resulted in many people working from home, closures of indoor restaurants/bars, etc … It lasted a few weeks in most red states (about 7 red states did not institute statewide measures), and several months in blue states. A much narrower set of limits continued in many blue states until this spring, and an even narrower set of limits continued in some red states, also until this spring.

      You always have to consider the alternative to mitigation measures. What would have happened had there not been any campaign to slow the spread? Frankly, that’s unthinkable misery and death, healthcare systems incapacitated, etc … Same situation around the world. Yes, even comparatively lenient Sweden had very strict (enforceable with hefty fines) crowd limits indoors and even outdoors for a short period of time, temporary closures of high schools and universities, enforced (fines if in violation) capacity limits in restaurants and distancing requirements, and a rather comprehensive contact tracing and isolation system.

  6. Philip, the Washington Post article is about Representative Gosar from Arizona killing AOC as a character in an anime video. Gosar also depicts himself using swords on Biden, but not killing Biden. Gosar is a sick individual, who frequently made fun of people who died of Covid-19. The other thing I posted above doesn’t require a subscription, as it’s just a brief video of AOC from 2011 on the rooftop of the Warren Towers (BU), dancing with friends. Nice views of the city of Boston. Again, AOC is not my political cup of tea, but why she scares so many middle-aged conservative men, I just don’t know or understand.

      1. Today’s republican party, Disgusting. Why can’t we get
        back to 2 parties with reasonable people on both sides.

        for the most part (some notable exceptions), Now we have a gang of moronic thugs in that party.

        1. What I find interesting that when it comes to health care, the economy, infrastructure etc. there is little or no agreement on both sides BUT when it comes to time change (i.e., DST) over the many years since WW I/II, 1966, energy crisis 1970s and other years there is always full agreement on both sides when to “change clocks”. It appears Republicans are pretty much onboard with Ed Markey’s proposal to have DST year round, in fact, Ted Cruz tried all he could to sneak it through last year right in the midst of a major pandemic, which at the time should have been the least of our concerns. Again, very sad that “DST” is the only topic of full scale bipartisan agreement.

          1. There was always a good form of bipartisan agreement. Ike was an excellent example of a true Republican

    1. I don’t understand. I saw this earlier. It seems if the average person did this, he’d be detained. Or worse

  7. Pfeizer just asked for emergency authorization for a booster six months after last vaccine for all over 18. I’m assuming pfeizer is using the term booster correctly and it will be a lower dose

    1. The Pfizer booster is at the same dosing (30mcg), which is still smaller than the Moderna booster of 50mcg (first 2 were 100mcg each).

      1. Thanks. I knew pfeizer had always been lower than moderna. So if I read your comment correctly, it is not a booster but a third vaccine

        1. Hi Vicki, I’m not sure of the particular semantics of booster vs. third vaccine, but it seems that it would be more aligned with being a third vaccine. If they changed the formulation, which I don’t think is the case here, then it would be more accurate to call it a booster. Just my take.

          1. Thank you! From what I’m reading, you are correct. I know I could request a full moderna vaccine if I felt I were compromised.

  8. Rogers IMO should be benched until next season. Not because he didn’t have the vaccine but because he lied and in that lie put others at risk.

        1. Clusters showed up in a several schools for the first time.

          Speaking of TKs moms comment about stupid pills

          Prayers and positive thoughts for all of the kids and staff

          My youngest has a number of friends whose children are recently positive. The symptoms are just not good.

  9. Mama Mia, I agree 100% with you on the video. AOC is a good and decent person. Contrary to what so many think, she’s very proud to be an American. Her father – who seems to be her idol; unfortunately he passed away far too young – brought her to Washington DC, and proudly showed her the Capitol, WH, and other buildings of interest, when she was a girl. She’s talked about this trip a lot. While I disagree with her politically – she’s `too’ left for my liking – I very much respect her. And goodness gracious has she taken serious abuse from the likes of Gosar, but also Yoho, Trump, and Greene, among many others. Her tremendous speech, in response to Yoho’s accosting her, to Congress is worth watching. A Republican friend of mine said it was the best Congressional speech in 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LI4ueUtkRQ0

    When Marjorie Taylor Greene called her a “little Commie,” AOC came back with perhaps the best tweet of all time: “First of all, I’m taller than Representative Greene.” End of tweet.

    1. She is a bit far left for me but; I absolutely agree….she is a good person. I laughed for a day after I saw her response to Greene.

  10. I will schedule my booster now. Ultrasound in July showed a stone in my right kidney…We knew it was there. But something showed in my left. I never have anything in my left so had a CT this am. I was worried what it might be. Seems it may have been a blip in ultrasound because nothing showed up. YAY

    So lithotripsy in after first of year but no stent……TRIPLE YAY

    1. Glad to hear nothing showed up, Vicki.

      Good luck with the booster.

      I scheduled mine, too. Technically I’m not eligible. But I filled out the form, honestly (no fibbing), and CVS will give me a booster next week.

      One of the reasons Alabama and other Southern states may be doing so `well’ now is, well, very little testing. Massachusetts reported 63,441 test results today. That’s 17,000 more tests than Alabama did in the past 7 days. That’s insanity.

  11. Speaking of COVID clusters showing up in schools, my daughter’s daycare is in the midst of an outbreak with 6 confirmed cases in the past 2 days, but isolated to one classroom (so far). All mildly symptomatic. Before this, there was only ONE case in the daycare since the start of the pandemic. They are trying to get test and stay approved so the kids won’t have to stay home too long. Ironically, the classroom is older kids and masks are mandatory.

    1. Yikes. A lot of that is a surprise but one of the surprises is a great one…..only one case until now is exemplary

      Hope your daughter and all of you remind covid free. Prayers to you all and to the children who are positive

          1. From what I understand, nothing outside of the DESE requirements and board of health and CDC recommendations. Masks for 2 yo+ but since relaxed that so parents choice. They divided the daycare into cohorts so only 2 rooms had interactions during outdoor and free play times. No shared toys and good cleaning procedures, windows open, parents couldn’t enter the building, and strict sick policy.

            1. Wow. Hard to know what happened but would suspect they are revisiting every step. Your daughter is not exposed ??

  12. Joe S replied to you above but would like to add that I appreciate your straightforward answers to questions.

    1. As i hit send, I thought maybe you would know how long befoee the boosters or third vaccines efficacy begins to drop

      1. Thanks Vicki! I’m and Engineer, so straightforward and no “fluff” is in my DNA….replied to your earlier post above.
        As for efficacy, I’m not sure anyone knows about the booster/3rd vaccine efficacy drop yet. I’m sure studies are still on-going.

        1. Thank you. I tend to be linear also. I worked a good portion of my life with electrical engineers. I get it and love it.

          Israel did studies a while ago but I have not seen anything in quite a while

  13. Browns are dealing with a covid outbreak and will be here Sunday. Why do we want them here?

    It’s all ’bout the dum dum da da dum dum

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